Night at the Boat Shed
by LovestoRead2013
Summary: It's the middle of summer and there's a heat wave in the City of Angels. The power grid is stretched to the limit, forcing Deeks and Kensi to seek alternate accommodations for one night. Story COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**Night at the Boat Shed**

"I can't wait to get home and bask in uninterrupted air conditioning," sighed Kensi. She plucked at her tee shirt to keep it from sticking to her chest.

"Ditto that," said Deeks as he mopped his forehead with a paper towel he found in the door pocket of Kensi's car. The cleanliness of the crumpled towel was debatable, but at the moment he didn't care. "I'm tempted to take off this shirt right now."

They were pulling into the drive-through lane of a fast-food place. Kensi shot him a glance. "Please don't."

Deeks feigned surprise. "What? Afraid you won't be able to control yourself, that you'll be tempted to crawl over this console and have your wicked way with me?" His eyebrows shot up and he grinned.

"Not likely," she snorted. "I'm afraid you'll scare the poor clerk and she'll mess up my dinner order. And you do not want me to be hungry." As if to underscore that statement, Kensi's stomach rumbled.

Deeks nodded, but said nothing. _Only hungry for me._

Two cars were ahead of them. Kensi regarded him with narrowed eyes. "What? What are you really thinking?"

Deeks cleared his throat. "I'm thinking about what I want to order from the vast and varied menu of this fine establishment."

"I doubt that. You get the same thing every time we come here."

"Not every time," he protested. "And what if a guy wants to change it up a bit?"

She waved a hand. "Go ahead. It's a free country."

The car behind them leaned on the horn. Kensi frowned as she glanced in the rearview mirror. "Okay, okay, I'm moving." She eased forward in the line. "Everybody's cranky tonight."

"Look at that bank sign." Deeks pointed across the street. "A hundred and one degrees."

"It feels more like two-hundred and one," said Kensi.

Deeks was squirming in his seat and peeling the sock off his right foot. "Yeah and I have one, wait, make that two, blisters the size of Texas on my heel. Chasing those sailors today was brutal."

Kensi's eyes rolled up in her head. "Really? You couldn't wait until we got home before filling the car with your stinky foot odor?"

Deeks chuckled and tried to crank up the air conditioning.

"It's already at the max," said Kensi. "And why is everything I say funny?"

"Because you're so adorable when you're stressed."

"I feel like punching you right now."

"But you won't because you need to keep both hands on the wheel," Deeks reminded her.

Not to be outdone, Kensi retorted, "But I am dropping you at your place and going home alone."

 _Let's see what Smarty Marty has to say about that!_

Deeks sucked in a breath. "What will Monty think about Mom and Dad fighting?"

A scratchy voice came over the intercom. "Can I . . . take . . . your order?"

Five minutes later, they had multiple bags of food and were headed towards Deeks' apartment.

Kensi's stomach growled again. "I'm starving."

Deeks pulled a couple French fries from a bag with a napkin. "Open wide." Fortunately, they were at a red light. He leaned over the console and Kensi opened her mouth to latch onto them. She chewed and gave a moan of contentment.

"See what a good partner I am," he said. "And I did not contaminate you with foot cooties."

She made a retching sound. "If I get sick, I'm gonna kill you," she threatened.

Now they had reached Deeks' apartment. Kensi acted like she wasn't coming in.

Deeks gave her a sad look. "Come on, Kens. At least eat with me. I hate eating alone. If you want to leave after that, you can. You know Monty will want to see you."

Kensi regarded him for a moment and cut the engine. "Fine. For Monty."

"Yes!" said Deeks and went to open the front door. Monty was scratching and whining on the other side.

"I know, buddy. It's been a long day for everyone."

He opened the door and hot, dead air greeted him. Monty rushed out and began barking. "Oh, this is not good." Then he saw the sticky note that had fallen off the door.

"Rolling blackouts. You may or may not have air conditioning tonight," he read. It was signed by his landlady.

"Get Monty's stuff. We'll go to my place," said Kensi.

Unfortunately, the situation was no better at her apartment. Her elderly neighbor was putting an overnight bag in her car. "Going to my daughter's. At least her air's working."

Kensi and Deeks shared a look. "Now what?" wondered Kensi.

"Motel," said Deeks. His voice held no enthusiasm. Any other time the prospect of spending the night in a motel with Kensi would be exciting. But tonight they both were hot, tired, sticky, and hungry. It would not be a night for romance.

Kensi pursed her lips. "No fleabag, roach motel," she stated firmly.

"Would I take the princess to such a place?"

She grabbed his arm. "Come on. We're wasting time."

After checking with four different hotels, they still did not have lodging for the night. "No room in the inn," said Deeks. "Everybody seems to have had the same idea."

"I really don't want to sleep in my car," sighed Kensi.

"What about crashing with your mom?"

Kensi considered that. "We could, but my aunt from Denver is visiting and that might be . . ."

"Awkward?" said Deeks.

"Yeah. She's very inquisitive."

"Wait a minute. What about the boat shed? We're almost there anyway."

Kensi nodded. "I like it. And no one will bother us there."

Deeks grinned. "Oh, were you planning on doing something besides sleeping?"

That earned him a slug. "Easy, Kens," he said as he rubbed his arm. 

The dock around the boat shed was silent and deserted. Deeks lugged their "go bags" and food bags out of the car while Kensi bent to pick the lock. Their keys for the lock were back at the Mission.

"Done. Amateurs must have installed this lock," she said as she stood.

They took their stuff inside and closed and locked the door.

Deeks went and stood under one of the vents with his arms outstretched. "Ah, air conditioning!"

Kensi opened the food containers and bags and arranged them on the rickety wooden table. "Dinner is served," she announced. 

Unknown to the pair, when Kensi picked the lock a silent alarm was triggered in Ops. Eric was pulling a double shift due to the food poisoning suffered by the 3 to 11 p.m. tech. He was surprised when he looked at his monitor. Before he had time to wonder what was happening, the phone rang.

"Mr. Beale, is something amiss at the boat shed?" asked Hetty.


	2. Chapter 2 - Life Imitates Art

**Chapter 2 – Life Imitates Art**

"Mr. Beale, is something amiss at the boat shed?" asked Hetty.

Eric continued to stare at the screen. _That is the question, isn't it?_

Callen's team did not have a case, so he had no idea what Kensi and Deeks were doing there. He swallowed nervously. "Two people have entered the premises."

"I trust you have alerted the proper authorities."

He hesitated. "Here's the thing. It's Kensi and Deeks."

There was a moment of silence.

"I see. What seems to be the problem?"

"Problem? I don't detect any kind of problem. Apparently, they have no air conditioning at their apartments and are just looking for a cool place to eat dinner."

Eric punched some keys. "The audio is intermittent. But from their actions and facial expressions they seem to be arguing about fried mozzarella sticks versus French fries." He frowned. "But arguing is such a strong term. Vigorously discussing might be a better description. Kensi is waving a French fry . . ."

Hetty cleared her throat. "Uh-hem."

"Right. That's all that's happening."

"Is anyone with them?" asked Hetty.

"I don't see or hear anyone else. Unless they have someone bound and gagged in the interrogation room."

"That would be highly unlikely, Mr. Beale, since we have no active cases tonight."

"Of course. Uh Hetty, when did we get this silent alarm?"

"The work was completed this morning. It's good to know it actually works given the current state of the power grid."

"Oh, now the audio is up. So . . . what do you want me to do?"

"Unless the situation changes, nothing."

"Understood."

"Then goodnight, Mr. Beale."

"Night, Hetty."

 _If they situation changes? What, like they drink too much beer and start ripping off their clothes? But they wouldn't do that. Would they?_

"Well, it is Kensi and Deeks, so anything's possible," he said to himself.

Eric watched as they opened various food bags and containers. Conversation was muffled because they were busy stuffing their faces. _So far so good._ Eric sighed and relaxed.

Suddenly, there was a commotion behind Eric as another evening analyst came into Ops.

 _Oh, not that guy._ Ricky Rudisill, or "Icky Ricky" as everyone at the Mission called him. Eric scrambled to minimize the video feed. _No need to have him ogling my people._

Then he inserted his ear wig. Ricky knew his computer stuff, but was considered to be way beyond weird. Even worse, he had the hots for Kensi. Fortunately, Deeks did not know this.

Ricky came and loomed over Eric. "What's up, man?"

Eric shrank back. Ricky's bad breath and barbeque-stained tee shirt did not make a good impression.

"Is Kensi around? Anything exciting going down?" He thrust a potato chip bag toward Eric. "Want some?"

Eric gasped. "No thanks. Everything is quiet."

"What about Kensi? Is she here? I didn't see her car."

Eric pushed his chair back and stood. He was four inches taller than Ricky and hoped to intimidate him.

"There's no case for Callen's team. Therefore, Kensi is not here."

Ricky stepped back. "Uh, okay."

"I'm sure you have something you can work on at your desk," said Eric. "And finish those chips. You never know when Hetty might pop in."

Ricky kept backing up. "Sure thing, man. I'm all over it. If you need anything, well, you know where I am." He crammed another chip in his mouth.

Eric pointed behind Ricky. "Watch that trash can."

It was too late. Ricky toppled backward, sending shredded paper and potato chips flying everywhere.

Two analysts on the opposite side of the room looked over their shoulders, rolled their eyes and refocused on their screens without comment.

Eric shook his head. "Doofus," he mumbled. He sat down and smothered a grin. There was a large bag of Oreos in the bottom drawer of his desk. He and Nell had been known to snack on the sly when Hetty was not around.

 **Back at the Boat Shed**

Monty settled himself on an old piece of cardboard in the corner. Deeks had fed him at his apartment before they started their evening's adventure.

Kensi dug into her double cheeseburger and fries while Deeks unwrapped a fish taco and fried mozzarella sticks.

Deeks picked up a mozzarella stick and dangled it in front of Kensi. "Here. Try this and see if it's not better than those fries."

"Stop it. Nothing beats hot, crispy, salty fries with lots of ketchup." She grunted as she struggled to rip open the ketchup packet. "These stupid things are adult-proof."

"Need help over there, Fern?"

"I think I can manage a condiment package," she said.

"Use your teeth. That's sexier. Like when a girl rips open a condom package with her teeth."

Kensi paused and glared. "What? Is that personal experience talking?"

"Saw it in a movie once."

"I'm sure you did." At that moment, the packet tore and ketchup squirted out on Kensi's hands. Some even squirted across the table and hit Deeks' chin and the front of his tee shirt.

"Yuck! Look what you made me do," whined Kensi.

Deeks laughed. "What I made you do? Hey, I got hit, too. Now I'll have to take off this shirt." He set his fish taco down and whipped his shirt over his head, pausing to whip his chin.

Kensi licked ketchup off her fingers and shook her head. "Any excuse for you to show off." She wanted to ignore his buff chest and arms, but it was hard to keep from drooling when he was right in front of her. She sensed Deeks was reading her mind because he grinned at her.

"You know, if you're hot you can take off your shirt, too."

Kensi gave him a look. "What you mean is you want me to take off my shirt. I know how your warped little brain works."

"Just a guy looking out for his partner," shrugged Deeks. "I don't want you to suffer heat stroke."

"What we need is less talking and more eating," said Kensi, digging into her double cheeseburger. _I would be cooler without my shirt, but wouldn't you know I wore a regular bra today and not a sports bra. No way is Deeks seeing me in this lacy pink one._

In Ops, Eric grew concerned. He already felt like a Peeping Tom. It would be different if they were on a mission and he had to observe them. But knowing how Kensi and Deeks liked to push each other's buttons, Eric would not put it past Kensi to rip off her shirt just to even the score with Deeks and shut him up.

But would it end there? Other clothes might come flying off and who knew what might occur then? He did not want to witness them acting on their intense attraction.

 _I have to warn them._

"Eric, can you look at this? It looks like an anomaly, but I'm not sure," said one of the analysts on the other side of the room.

"Yeah, okay."

"Eric, hurry!"

"Need any more ketchup, Fern?" Deeks held up the last packet.

"Nope. All good."

"Too bad. I was looking forward to seeing you wrangle this."

"Shut up. Let's get ready for bed."

Deeks slowly smiled. "I like the sound of that."

Kensi paused in gathering up their trash. "Being your partner is mentally exhausting."

Deeks took the trash from her and dumped it in the can in the corner. "All the more reason for us to go to bed."

Eric heard the last statement and quickly checked the monitor. Kensi was standing as Deeks had done earlier with her arms outstretched in front of the air conditioning vent. Deeks came up behind her and put his hands on her waist.

"We're Kate and Leo in your favorite movie."

Kensi squirmed. "Don't put your hot, sweaty body against me."

"You never complained before." He pushed her hair aside and kissed her neck.

 _Okay, enough is enough,_ thought Eric. For all he knew, Hetty might be watching this from one of her many residences and he didn't want his friends to go too far. Although Hetty would hardly be shocked by their behavior. After all, she put them together.

"Deeks . . . stop."

"You don't really mean that." He turned her around to face him.

"I do mean it," she said softly. Yet she did not push him away.

Deeks' phone suddenly rang, startling them. He dug it out of his pocket and checked the number.

"It's Eric. I can't believe we have a case now."

"Hey, Eric. What do you have for us?"

"It's not a case, it's a warning."

"Warning? What do you mean?" asked Kensi, instantly alert.

"Relax. No terrorists or national security threats. Unknown to anyone, including me, Hetty had a silent alarm installed this morning at the boat shed. When you broke in, it sent a message to Ops."

"What?" said Kensi.

Deeks looked around. "So you can see and hear us right now?"

"Every word."

"Wait, it's a full moon tonight. Are you just pulling my leg?" asked Deeks. "What did we eat for dinner?"

"Cheeseburger and fries for Kensi and fish taco and mozzarella sticks for you, my friend."

Kensi's eyes widened. "Eric, is Hetty in Ops now?"

"No. She told me to monitor the situation."

"Well, we're okay then. Good thing Kensalina didn't try to get me out of my jeans," laughed Deeks.

Kensi shot him an evil look and slugged his arm.

"Uh guys, what is Monty doing over there?"

They turned and saw Monty pawing at something in the corner. Then he barked and jumped back. Something long and black slithered out.

Deeks jumped back, also. "Snake! I hate snakes. Why did it have to be a snake?"

Kensi looked at him strangely. "Who are you, Indiana Jones?"

"I can't sleep here tonight if there's a snake around."

Kensi grabbed her weapon from the table and fired. The snake gave up the ghost without a struggle. "I'm pretty sure it's non-poisonous. Eric, can you see it well enough to verify?"

"Hold on." He tried adjusting his monitor.

"Unfortunately, no. Send me a picture."

Deeks stood there with a look of horror on his face.

"Deeks, give me your phone."

"What?"

"Your phone. So I can send Eric a picture."

"Right." Finally, he handed it to her.

While Eric was checking, Kensi touched his arm. "Are you okay?"

"I hate snakes."

"Okay, Indy, you already said that."

"Where's there one snake, there might be three or four more. Or ten or twenty."

"Take a deep breath and get a grip. Eric will let us know."

Eric came back on the line. "Kensi, you were right. It's not poisonous. However, it does have a cousin that looks very similar that is poisonous."

"You're one-hundred percent sure it's not poisonous?" asked Deeks.

"I'm one-hundred ten percent sure. The poisonous one has tiny red spots."

To reassure Deeks, Kensi squatted down and checked. "No spots of any kinds. Thanks, Eric. I think we're good here."

"Roger that. I'm going to turn off the audio and video so you can do, you know, whatever you usually do when you're not at work."

"What do you think we do when we're not at work?" asked Kensi.

"I, uh, I really couldn't say," stammered Eric.

Deeks massaged his chest. "My heart rate's returned to normal so I think I can fight off any advances Kensi might make on me tonight."

Kensi could only shake her head. "Thanks again, Eric, and goodnight."

"Yeah. Thanks, Eric."

Deeks turned to Kensi. "I'm really glad my partner is such a damn fine sniper."

"You have some good qualities, too."

Deeks' eyebrows lifted. "Care to elaborate?"

"I'll need another beer for that."


	3. Chapter 3 - Wet and Wild

**Chapter 3 – Wet and Wild**

The man's head snapped up as the report of a gun pierced the warm night air. He looked left, then right. He was sure it came from the direction of the boat shed. He'd seen a man and woman breaking in earlier. Well, the woman was the one doing the breaking in. He snickered to himself. She was good with her hands. These people were known to him, but they wouldn't know him from Adam.

There were no panicked shouts or running footsteps. He shuffled from one foot to another as he debated what to do. 

"I need to brush my teeth," said Kensi. She was bent over digging through her go-bag. "Found it." She grabbed her cosmetic bag and straightened up.

Deeks had located a flashlight in a drawer and was checking the corners of the room. "Got any Band-Aids in there?"

"Band-Aids?"

"For my blisters."

"Right. Probably."

Kensi paused and watched him methodically search the room. "What are you doing?"

"I don't want to be surprised by any more snakes."

"It was one non-poisonous snake, Deeks, and I eliminated it. You can relax."

"Easy for you to say. Remember, I'm the city mouse and you're the country mouse."

"If you say so." Kensi turned and headed for the small bathroom. As she flipped the light switch, the bulb blew. "Eeh!" She jumped back with a squeak.

Deeks looked up and laughed. "What's this, badass Blye scared by a light bulb?"

"I wasn't scared. I just wasn't expecting it." The expression on her face said otherwise.

"Yeah, like I wasn't expecting to spend the night with a snake."

"You really need to drop the snake issue. It's done and over with."

Deeks sighed. "Okay. Hey, do you think we can sleep on this couch, like we do when we're watching TV at home?"

Kensi eyed the couch. It had seen better days. "I don't know. Remember when we had that huge gang guy here and he sat. . ." Before she could finish, Deeks plopped himself down on one end.

"This'll work. Not as comfy as . . ." The couch suddenly groaned and both legs on that end gave way under Deeks.

Kensi couldn't help herself. She burst out laughing. "That guy must have weighed 500 lbs."

"Thanks for reminding me. Guess we'll have to go to Plan B."

Kensi was still snorting with laughter. "Didn't know we even had a Plan A."

"Can you give your partner a hand here, Fern?"

Extending a hand, Kensi helped him up. He rubbed the bottom of his spine. "I think I broke my tailbone. Can you check for me?"

Kensi took a step back. "Definitely not."

"Wait a minute. Is that what I think it is?" Deeks had spotted something of interest behind one of the canoes.

"Whatever it is, it is not a snake."

"No, this is something that could actually be useful."

"A lot of snakes are useful. They eat insects," insisted Kensi.

Deeks turned and looked at her. "Are you lobbying for a pet snake? Because as long as we're together, I'm not buying you a snake for your birthday."

"What about for Christmas?"

"No snake. Ever."

"I could buy myself one."

A look of horror came across Deeks' face. "You wouldn't."

She felt a moment of pity for her scruffy partner. "I wouldn't. It's hard enough to keep up with Monty. Now what were you going to show me?"

Deeks blew out a breath and relaxed. He went and pulled out a rolled-up sleeping bag and unfurled it. "Look at this."

"I am not sleeping in some funky sleeping bag. No telling who used it or when," Kensi declared. "Anyway, it's only big enough for one person."

Deeks grinned. "We could be real cozy in this. But you couldn't go all starfish on me."

"I would sleep on the bare floor before I'd get in that with you."

Deeks was struggling to get it open. "I don't think anybody will be sleeping in it. The zipper's stuck." He rocked back on his heels. "Where's your knife?"

"What?"

"I'll cut it open and lay it flat, then the bare floor won't be so bare. Would that meet your sleeping requirements?"

Considering it for a moment, Kensi nodded. "I'm down for that." She pulled her knife from an ankle holster and handed to Deeks. "Make it happen. I'm going to freshen up." Deeks flicked the knife open and set to work.

In the bathroom, Kensi reached for the cold water faucet. It wouldn't turn. "Really?" she mumbled. She tried both hands. Still stuck. The hot water faucet turned easily, but only a trickle of water came out.

"Ugh!"

"Problem there, princess?"

Kensi stomped out, hands on hips. "No water."

"What? Well, let Miracle Marty have a look."

"Miracle Marty? When have you ever performed a miracle?" Kensi gave a snort-laugh.

He grabbed his chest. "Ah, you wound me. I had this same issue at my old apartment. All you need is a wrench."

"A wrench. Okay."

They started opening cabinets and drawers. After a minute, Deeks triumphantly raised his hand, clutching a rusty wrench. "Alrighty then. Let's do this."

Kensi frowned at the wrench. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Do I question your lock-picking ability?"

"No, but. . ."

"Okay. So have a little faith in your partner. And bring that flashlight."

There was grunting, swearing, more grunting and finally, the faucet loosened.

"Success!" proclaimed Deeks. "Another miracle from Marty!

His jubilation was short-lived, however. Without warning, water began spurting out like a geyser. Both Deeks and Kensi yelped as ice-cold water hit them in the face. The flashlight slipped from Kensi's hand.

"DEEKS! TURN IT OFF!"

"I would if I could see what I'm doing."

After a couple minutes, the cutoff valve was located. Kensi and Deeks looked at each other. "This is your miracle?" asked Kensi. "We're soaked."

"Look on the bright side. We may be soaked, but our core temperature is down."

Kensi pointed at him. "Do not put 'plumber' on your résumé."

"Are you suggesting I might need a new résumé, partner?"

She ignored him and went to her bag. She pulled out a towel, but was annoyed by the short tee shirt she found. "Whatever," she mumbled. She moved on to Deeks' bag and took his clean tee shirt.

Deeks was trying to mop up the bathroom with a roll of paper towels. "Memo to self: Leave plumbing to the professionals. Kens, I've learned a valuable lesson tonight."

"Glad to hear it."

Her back was to him and he watched in fascination as she peeled off her wet shirt, bra, and jeans and dropped them in a heap on the floor. She dried off and pulled his spare shirt over her head.

 _Oh boy._

He couldn't just stand there staring at her. He needed to say something. "Want to brush your teeth now?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. If you're through ogling me." She waltzed by him and picked up her toothpaste and brush.

He came up behind her and their eyes caught in the mirror over the sink. "That'll never happen." He held up a package of light bulbs. "Look what I found? Want me to change the bulb?"

"Don't even think about it."


	4. Things That Go Bump in the Night

**Chapter 4 – Things That Go Bump in the Night**

"I should probably brush my teeth, too," said Deeks.

Kensi elbowed him aside. "You need to wait until I'm done. This sink is too small for two people."

"So when we start cohabiting, we need either a Jack-and-Jill sink or two separate bathrooms."

Kensi looked at him. "Separate is good. Plenty of room for my stuff."

Deeks nodded. "You do have a lot of stuff, but I prefer the double sink. We could discuss work while we're getting ready for work. Better for partnership relations."

Kensi wiped her mouth and gathered her _stuff._ "I don't know why you're babbling about this now. I'm tired and I'm going to bed. You can join me or you can keep designing houses."

Monty came to the bathroom door and whined.

"Is nature calling, Monty? Come on, boy. Give me five minutes, Kens."

"Fine. You know where I am." Kensi went and plopped down on the sleeping bag.

Deeks and Monty went outside and walked along the pier. "We're making progress, Monty. She didn't shoot down the cohabiting idea." The clouds suddenly shifted, revealing a full moon.

"Look at that. No wonder it's been an off-the-chain day."

Monty tinkled and they went back in. Monty trotted over to the opposite corner from where the snake had been and settled himself on a pile of rags. Deeks took a chair and propped it under the door knob. Eric had turned off the surveillance so they were on their own.

 _Kensi easily defeated the lock and who knows what kind of people wander around down here at night. I don't want any more surprises._

He stood for a moment watching Kensi toss and turn. Then his eyes fell on her pile of clothes. His obsessive-compulsive tendency couldn't stand it. He picked them up and laid them over the back of a chair. He had her lacy pink bra in his hand when Kensi grunted and rolled over again.

"You're awfully restless there, Kens. Got ants in your pants? Oh wait, you're not wearing pants! Which leads me to wonder if you're even wearing underpants." He gave a snarky laugh.

Kensi cracked open one eye. "Why are you mauling my clothes?"

"You know me, OC Deeks. And I was not mauling them, I was straightening them so they wouldn't be all wrinkly and stiff in the morning."

Kensi yawned and said, "Do I look like someone who gives a flip about that?"

Deeks carefully laid the bra on top. "Good point. Okay then, I'll just dim the lights."

Then he kicked off his boots and eased out of his wet jeans and stretched out beside Kensi. "Did you know there's a full moon tonight, Kens?"

"That explains a lot," she mumbled. She rolled to her stomach and flung an arm across Deeks' bare chest. Then she hooked one bent knee over his leg. She moaned softly and idly ran her hand over his chest, lightly scratching him with her short nails.

"Do you realize how often you invade my personal space, Fern?"

Without opening her eyes, Kensi said, "We're partners. There is no personal space."

"I couldn't agree more."

"And I like to know where you are," she mumbled.

"I'm right here beside you, where I should be, my sweet."

Kensi's hand shot up and tweaked his nipple. "Yeow! That was unnecessary," he protested. That little endearment had earned him a stiletto on the top of his foot on one mission when they visited a jewelry store.

Kensi laughed. "That's to remind you to behave."

"Message received." He captured her hand and laid it flat against his chest.

"Go to sleep, Deeks."

"Got it." He took a chance and kissed the top of her head.

Finally, they settled down. Only the hum of the ancient air conditioner and Monty's light snoring disturbed the silence of the night. Deeks ceased worrying about snakes and closed his eyes. Everything was good . . . for all of five minutes.

A jangling noise was heard at the door leading to the pier. Both Deeks and Kensi jerked and sat up. "What was that?" whispered Kensi.

"Definitely something larger than a snake," said Deeks. Kensi swatted at his arm. "Stop it."

Deeks was on his feet. "Stay here. I'll check it out." He grabbed his weapon.

Kensi snorted and jumped up, too. "Not likely. You might need backup, partner."

Deeks looked at her. "You realize neither one of us is wearing pants."

"Who cares? This is an emergency." Kensi was already reaching for her weapon.

He grinned. "Okay. Barefoot and pantless. Let's do it."

They crept to the door. As they did on missions, Deeks would go first and Kensi would swing around and cover his back. Slowly, Deeks moved the chair to the side. They shared a glance and nodded.

Deeks flung the door open and Kensi stepped behind him, weapon raised.

"Hey oh!" A homeless man staggered back and dropped a large plastic bag of aluminum cans on the pier. The noise was jarring at this time of night.

Deeks dropped his hand, but Kensi kept her weapon trained on the man.

"Hey brother, what's happening?" asked Deeks.

The man was wearing a dirty, torn jacket even though the night was sweltering. He was pushing a grocery cart filled with cardboard boxes and more bags of cans. He coughed and spat a wad of tobacco juice into the water. "Making my rounds. Saw da light on there and figured ya might have something to recycle. Got any cans or stuff?" He started to reach into his jacket pocket.

"Hands where I can see them," barked Kensi.

"Just need my handkerchief, lady. Got this bad cough."

"Yeah? Well, quit chewing that crap."

The man turned his face and rubbed his mouth on his sleeve. "You sounds like my old lady."

"Okay, there's nothing for you here, my man," said Deeks. He laid a hand on the man's shoulder. "My place was an oven and I was just looking for a cool place to get busy with my ladybird. You get my drift?"

The man cackled and that got on Kensi's nerves. "I see you got yourself a live wire with this one." He wagged a bony finger in Kensi's direction.

Deeks chuckled. "You can't even imagine."

"Well, I be moving on then. A good night to you, sir." He tipped his head toward Kensi. "Miss."

Deeks called over his shoulder. "Hey, Kensi. Can you grab my wallet?"

"What?"

"It's okay, just get it."

She felt uneasy leaving Deeks and hesitated.

"Kens?"

"Okay, I'm going." She slowly stepped backwards and through the door. She pulled his wallet from his jeans and returned in a matter of seconds. "Here," she said and tossed it to him.

Deeks opened his wallet and took out two $20 dollar bills and thrust them at the man. "There's a real good all-night diner a couple blocks from here called _Shorty's_. Tell them Deeks sent you. I used to eat there a lot back in the day."

"Yeah, yeah, I know da place. Thank you, thank you and God bless." The man stuffed the bills in his pocket. Deeks picked up the bag he'd dropped and set it on top of the other recyclables.

The man turned his cart around and shuffled off. Quiet returned to the pier. Only when the man turned the corner did Kensi lower her weapon.

"Shorty's, huh?" said Kensi.

"Yeah, when I first a patrol officer I would eat there at least once or twice a week. Ran into a bunch of folks like that."

"You're a good man, Deeks."

Deeks glanced in the direction the man had gone. "I just hate to see people down on their luck."

Kensi slid an arm around his waist. "Come on. Let's go back inside."

Deeks gave her a sideways glance. "You about scared the crap out of him with your official NCIS voice."

"Just backing up my partner."

Deeks blew out a sigh. "I love your awesomeness as a partner." They went in, secured the door and prepared to sleep.

When the homeless man was out of sight, he stopped and ducked into a doorway. He pulled out an encrypted cell phone and hit the programmed number. It rang only two times before a woman answered.

 **Hetty's House**

Hetty was listening to a Mahler symphony and having a cup of tea when her cell phone chirped.

"Yes? You have something to report?"

"A gunshot was fired at the boat shed." Gone was the broken English. The voice was all business now.

"Gunshot?" interrupted Hetty.

"Only one and I was able to get a visual on both Deeks and Kensi. They appeared well and unharmed. But they were in somewhat of a state of undress."

"That's to be expected," commented Hetty drily.

The man smothered a laugh. Kensi was quite a looker. Deeks was a lucky man.

"Deeks gave me $40 and recommended an all-night diner. I'll drop that in the offering plate at St. Anthony's next Sunday."

"Mr. Deeks is a kind-hearted individual."

"What would you like me to do?"

"Nothing. Leave the young people to their evening's activities."

"Very good, ma'am," said the man and disconnected. He decided to try Shorty's, but he had his own money with which to buy food. Hetty paid him well to keep an eye on the boat shed.

 **At the Boat Shed**

Kensi and Deeks had settled back down on their sleeping bag bed. Oddly enough, they resumed their original positions. Monty was still snoozing in the corner.

"Wow, what else can happen tonight?" wondered Deeks.

"Nothing else is going to happen tonight. Unless we want it to," said Kensi. Her hand slid down and was toying with the elastic waistband of Deeks' shorts

That really got Deeks' attention. "Uh Kensi, what are you doing?

"Eric's turned off the surveillance so we could . . . "

"As much as I would love to, I don't think that's a good idea. This is one of our work places, after all. And Hetty might somehow be listening or watching and that would just be too weird."

"I really hate to admit you're right, but you're right," sighed Kensi.

"And maybe Eric didn't really turn it off. Maybe everyone in Ops is watching us now and . . ."

Kensi put a finger on his lips. "Quiet. We need our beauty sleep."

Deeks laughed. "Speak for yourself, partner. Although I suppose sleep does help this glorious Viking mane."

"Oh, for crying out loud," snorted Kensi. She rolled on her side and put her back to Deeks.


	5. Chapter 5 - Restless

**Chapter 5 – Restless**

 _NO! I can't let it get me. I have to have Kensi's back. She can't lose another partner. That would really piss her off to have to train someone new. I have to survive so one day I can propose to Kensi. I have to overcome this beast so one day we can have a Marty or Kensi, Jr._

 _The more he struggled and thrashed about, the more the warm, heavy creature slithered up his legs. He tried to turn, but now the creature was sliding up his back. NO! The struggle was futile. The creature was wrapping around his body. It was a vice around his biceps._

 _NO! I have to fight it! That smell. Like that body wash Kensi likes. How could that be?_

"DEEKS! DEEKS, WAKE UP!" Kensi shook his shoulder roughly. Monty began barking.

His body flinched and his eyes flew open. Kensi was leaning over him, a startled and concerned look on her face. "You're okay. You were having a nightmare." She slowly ran her hand up and down his arm to reassure him.

He clutched his chest as he gasped for air. "Oh, Kens! Thank God it's you."

"Of course, it's me. We're the only ones here." She gently pushed his hair off his forehead. "You know where we are, right?"

He squinted at her. "Yeah . . . the boat shed. Did I say anything weird?"

"When _don't_ you say something weird? You were mumbling. I couldn't make out any words, but you kept getting louder and louder." She studied his face closely. It was flushed and had a light sheen of perspiration. "I'll get you some water." She hopped up and went to the refrigerator in the corner.

She dropped down beside him and unscrewed the top. "Here." Deeks raised up on his elbows.

"You do care," he grinned as he took the bottle.

"Of course I care," she said with a frown as she jostled his shoulder. "Do you remember anything? It would probably help you to talk it out."

Deeks chugged the rest of the water and wiped his mouth. "You sound like Nate. But I'd rather talk to you any day than him." He reached for her hand.

"So talk." She held his hand in both of hers.

"It was that damn snake you shot, Kens. Except in my dream it wasn't a harmless little thing. It morphed into some hideous, gargantuan thing like, I don't know, a python or boa constrictor. It was awful. It was wrapping all around me cutting off my circulation and breathing. I was afraid it was going to squeeze the life out of me and then you would have to train a new partner."

Kensi rolled her eyes. "That would have been the real tragedy here."

Deeks fell back on the sleeping bag with a loud sigh and put an arm over his eyes. "I take back what I said a minute ago. Nate would be sympathetic."

"I'm sympathetic. I just don't know how to help you with this phobia." Monty got up and moved to Kensi's side.

Deeks lifted his head a fraction. "Even my old buddy Monty isn't sympathetic."

"Have you ever thought about hypnosis? People use it to quit smoking, control their eating and all kinds of stuff."

Deeks moved his arm and grinned. "We could go together. I could get hypnotized to not fear snakes, maybe even to love them and you, Kensalina, could get hypnotized to love cleaning and straightening up your apartment. What an awesome idea, partner!"

Kensi's jaw dropped. "Ugh. Remind me again why I put up with you."

Deeks studied her for a moment. "Because you love me."

This was one of those moments when Kensi was at a loss for words. Of course, she loved Deeks, but she was not as comfortable throwing out the "L" word as he was.

Deeks' eyebrows lifted. "Kens? Anything to say?"

"Jury's still out on that."

"I don't think so." That cocky, self-confident grin said Deeks knew exactly what she was thinking.

"What I think is that we should get back to sleep," she said as if that closed the subject. She laid down beside him and turned on her side. Her hand rested on his chest. "Your heart rate is returning to normal."

"Thank you, Dr. Blye," he laughed. "Wait a minute. There was a distinctive smell. That warm, slithery thing that was wrapping around me wasn't a snake. It was _you_. You were all over me."

Kensi raised up and stared at him. "And? Don't try to act like you didn't like it."

"How could I like it when I thought my life was in imminent danger? I could have had a heart attack."

Kensi reached over their heads and grabbed her phone from the table.

"What are you doing?"

"Looking for the nearest hypnotist. It's sad that you don't know the difference between a snake and your partner," huffed Kensi.

Deeks pried the phone from her hand. "Oh, I know the difference. No snake could be as cantankerous as you or . . ."

"Cantankerous? I should . . ."

". . . smell as nice as you. Please, feel free to slither all over me right now. Yikes!" Kensi's phone buzzed with a text. "Message from your boyfriend?"

"Give me that!"

"Not so fast. Let's see. It's from Mimi's Shoe Salon. Didn't I go there with you a couple weeks ago?"

"Deeks, I'm warning you."

"It says _The heels you ordered are in!_ Are they stilettos? Are they red?" Deeks could not stop grinning.

Kensi took a deep breath. "Okay, I have a proposition for you."

"Hold up. Proposition? You could be arrested for propositioning a cop. You wouldn't want to get thrown in the slammer with the working girls. Hetty would spew her Earl Grey tea."

"Would you shut up and listen?"

"Okay, lay it on me."

Kensi chewed her bottom lip. "You take me to a nice restaurant Saturday night and I'll wear the shoes. Also, you have to wear something besides jeans and a tee shirt."

Deeks' eyes lit up. "That's a proposition I can take. But you have to wear an appropriately hot outfit to match the shoes."

"What if some scumbag hits on me in said outfit?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'd just body-slam him to the floor and everyone would applaud."

"I might break a heel."

Deeks shrugged. "In that case, I'd step in to help."

"Right," said Kensi with a roll of her eyes.

"So, do we have a deal? Should we shake on it?" Deeks extended his hand. "I'm already thinking of places to take my awesome partner."

Kensi looked at his hand, then shook it. "Deal." Then she kissed the back of his hand.

"What?" Deeks was stunned. "Reverse chivalry. I like it."

"Never underestimate your partner," said Kensi as she settled down beside him.

"Believe me, I never underestimate my Wonder Woman."

Quiet returned to the boat shed. The refrigerator hummed in one corner and Monty snored lightly beside Kensi. Deeks was almost asleep when Kensi spoke up.

"I was wondering . . ."

"What, Fern?"

". . . if we ever crossed paths when you were a cop on the beat?"

"No way. If I had ever ticketed you for jaywalking or speeding, especially speeding, I would have certainly remembered you."

"I bet I could have talked my way out of a ticket," she said. "I would have pulled the 'federal agent' card on you. Federal agent trumps local law enforcement."

"Not when local law enforcement is bigger and stronger than sexy federal agent." Before Kensi could raise a hand to punch him, Deeks rolled on top of her and pinned her arms. Even in the dim night he saw that Kensi's face changed immediately. It was a look Deeks knew well. Intense, yet mischievous. The look she got when they competed against each other in the gym. He assumed a head butt was likely coming next so he put his forehead against hers.

"Let . . . go . . . of . . . me," she hissed as she tried to squirm.

"Give it up. Local law enforcement wins tonight." Then he kissed one corner of her mouth, paused and kissed the other corner before dropping a feather-like kiss on her perfect lips.

He pulled back and intently stared into her eyes. Kensi relaxed. "I thought you said we weren't doing this here."

"We're not." He rolled to his back and pulled Kensi half on top of him. "We're going to sleep."

 **Back in Ops**

Icky Ricky looked around his work station. "Where is that flash drive?" he muttered under his breath. He lifted piles of paper and checked the desk drawers. He even peered into the trash can beside his desk. "Eric must have it."

He rolled his chair over to Eric's desk. He paused a moment to envy the more extensive set-up that Eric had. More bells and whistles, more everything. When Eric was in Ops, he was _The Man._ Ricky wanted to be that person one day. The other techs and analysts answered to Eric. Except Nell. Ricky had seen her tell Eric a thing or two and Eric didn't seem to mind. Nell was super-smart and everyone knew it.

 _Hey, what's this?_

As he envied Eric's monitor, Ricky noticed a new icon flashing on the bottom of the screen. Ricky looked over his shoulder. The other analysts were concentrating on their screens and Eric was out of the room at the moment.

 _What can it hurt?_ Ricky's right index finger hovered expectantly over the icon. He again darted a quick look behind him. His father's constant admonition throughout high school came to him. _You don't get anywhere by being timid, Richard._

He pressed the icon.


	6. Exposed

**Chapter 6 – Exposed**

 **Ops – 5:10 A.M.**

The minute Ricky clicked the icon, the interior of the boat shed, showing a sleeping man and woman, popped up on Eric's monitor and also lit up the large screen on the wall. Suddenly, recognition kicked in. His eyes bugged out and his mouth dropped open.

"Holy cow! Kensi and . . . and Deeks. What . . . what are they doing there? They sure aren't working a case," he shrieked. Shock and indignation and inappropriate thoughts gripped him.

Meanwhile, Eric was bounding up the stairs from the kitchen. When he entered Ops and saw the wall monitor, he almost had a heart attack. Deeks and Kensi were coiled together on the floor at the boat shed. Deeks was clad only in boxer shorts while Kensi wore a tee shirt with a surf shop logo. It barely covered her sassy butt. They were relaxed and oblivious.

The other analysts, all male on this particular night, apparently had been so engrossed in their own work that they'd paid no attention to the large screen. Until now. Suddenly, heads lifted from monitors and keyboards with prurient interest. They bolted from their chairs and crowded in front of the big screen. Hoots and fist bumps ensued.

"I told you he'd nailed her," said one triumphantly. "You owe me fifty bucks. Pay up, pal!"

"I'm not giving you squat. You owe _me_ way more than that for your stupid energy drinks."

One geek pushed another and someone's glasses flew off. More hoots and whistles followed.

Eric was appalled. The mood in Ops was becoming like a raucous fraternity party. All that was missing was pizza and a keg of beer.

"NO, NO, NO!" he yelled.

Then he saw Ricky sitting at his desk. "RICKY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

He rushed over and pushed Ricky aside. Frantic to get the image off the big screen, Eric fumbled over the keys. His fingers didn't want to cooperate.

Ricky's chair rolled and tipped over. "Hey, man!" In a split-second he hopped up and was bouncing from side to side trying to see around Eric. "This is freaky cool! Check out Kensi's awesome legs!"

"Shut up before I go _freaky_ ballistic on you, Ricky," called Eric over his shoulder.

"Why are Kensi and Deeks at the boat shed?"

"They're partners, okay. They don't have to explain themselves," said Eric lamely. "Ugh!" For some reason, Eric's monitor was frozen and he couldn't shut it down. "What did you do to my monitor? You know you're not supposed to touch anything on this desk. EVER! GOT IT? EVER!"

Ricky ignored him. "Partners, hmm. You and Nell are partners, so do you guys, you know . . . ?"

Eric's face was flushed and his blood pressure kept going up. "That is enough."

Nell heard the commotion from the bottom of the stairs. She couldn't imagine what was taking place. She ran up the stairs and skidded to a halt. Kensi and Deeks filled the big monitor and tech geeks were laughing and making lewd comments.

"What the hell?" she hissed.

Eric was bent over, furiously stabbing his keyboard. He was unaware that Nell had come in. Suddenly, an air horn sounded. The room fell silent and everyone looked toward the door in shock. Nell was standing on a chair with a grim expression on her face.

"Nell!" Eric was as shocked as the others to see her.

She pointed to the guys. "Back to your desks, right now!"

She climbed down from the chair and marched over to Eric's desk. "Need some help, partner?"

"In the worst way," he sighed.

She nodded and sat down. "Okay, I'm here for you." She hit several keys, waited five seconds, hit some more keys and _voila!_ Kensi and Deeks vanished.

Eric wiped his forehead. "Thank goodness! Nell, you are a lifesaver! I could just hug you right now!"

"Better hold that though, partner."

"Right." He flashed her a brilliant smile.

Nell stood and pointed to each of the tech geeks. "Kevin, Jamal, Lance, Clifford, Gino, Todd. Report to the loading dock. There's a lot of, uh, things to be unloaded."

"But that's not our job," whined Clifford.

"Right now it is. Or Hetty will certainly hear about your incredibly rude behavior." She glared at them until they dropped their heads and shuffled off.

At the door, Jamal turned and said, "I'm really sorry. I don't know what came over me. I respect Kensi and Deeks. They're always nice to me."

"Duly noted," said Nell. Next she turned her attention to Ricky. "You need to go downstairs and help Chad."

Ricky gasped and shrank back. "Chad? Why? That guy hates my guts."

Nell cocked her head. "I wonder why?"

Ricky stood there a moment. He glanced from Nell to Eric. At last, Eric said, "You heard the lady."

Ricky frowned. "Fine. I'm going."

"And close that door behind you," called Nell.

Eric dropped into his chair and sighed dramatically. "What's Chad doing?"

Nell smiled. "I have no idea. But I'm about to find something for him to do."

Eric nodded in approval. "I like it."

"A woman's work is never done," said Nell with an exaggerated eye roll.

After talking to Chad for a minute, Nell focused on Eric. "Now, care to explain how this happened?"

He held up a bottle of green tea. "Okay, I went downstairs to get this and when I came back, Ricky was over here fiddling with my computer. I've told him a hundred times not to mess with it, but he never pays attention."

"I know. He's a brat. They're all brats at times. They're like our bratty children."

"I think one or two kids would be enough," said Eric thoughtfully. He had a sudden vision of he and Nell as parents.

"And we can never tell Kensi and Deeks about this." She paused and gave Eric a quizzical look. "What are they doing at the boat shed anyway?"

"It's a long story," began Eric.

"Then I need a drink," said Nell. She grabbed his green tea and unscrewed the cap.

 **Boat Shed – 5:35 A.M.**

Early in their partnership, Deeks realized he slept better when Kensi was beside him. He didn't have to wonder where she was or what she was doing, or with whom. Whatever she was doing, it was with him. It was a comforting thing in the midst of their crazy, high-pressure lives, like a warm blanket on a cold evening.

Suddenly, cell phones buzzed. Without opening his eyes, Deeks grabbed one, which happened to be Kensi's. "Deeks here," he answered.

"Guys, heads up," said Eric.

Deeks pressed the speaker button. "Go, Eric."

"DEA executed a raid in Silver Lake a couple hours ago and one of the guys they picked up may be connected to the stabbing of that marine last month. Agents are bringing him to the boat shed as we speak. Sam and Callen are on the way. I told them you guys would meet them there."

Kensi sat up. "They don't know we spent the night here, do they?"

"Nope. That's our little secret." He glanced at Nell and she nodded

 _Not to mention everyone else in Ops tonight. Deeks won't mind so much about being exposed, but Kensi, well, that's another story._

"DEA. Is Talia del Campo one of the agents?" wondered Deeks. Kensi shot him a warning look. Talia was a _frenemy_ of Kensi's. Both wanted to claim Deeks, but really it was no contest. Kensi had always had the upper hand.

"Don't know. The agent I spoke with was a Ramon Fox. Hang on."

There was a short moment of silence, then Eric was back. "You should get yourselves together because Callen and Sam are coming down the pier as we speak and DEA is about three minutes behind them."

"What?!" Kensi jumped up and was scrabbling for her jeans.

"Got it. Thanks, Eric."

They pulled on their jeans. Monty jumped up and barked a couple times.

"No worries, Monty. Everything's good."

Kensi grunted. "Everything is not good. My zipper just broke."

"Maybe I can help," said Deeks as he reached for her waist.

She pushed his hands away. "Stop it! You can't do anything about it."

"Then you'll have to keep wearing my shirt to hide it."

Then she remembered something. "My bra!"

The door opened and they heard Sam and Callen in the hall.

"No time now, Fern."

Deeks kicked the sleeping bag to the corner and his foot connected with a rusty pipe hidden under an old box. "Dammit! I stubbed my toe." He hopped around on one foot.

Kensi was hurriedly pulling her hair into a ponytail. "Really? Man up, Deeks."

He plopped into a chair and examined his toe. "I may lose that toe nail. I already had those blisters, now this. I'm not having good foot karma."

"Is Mercury in retrograde again?" asked Kensi with raised eyebrows.

"You shouldn't laugh about that, Kens." He wore a pouty expression now, but managed to get his boots on.

Sam and Callen came around the corner.

"Morning," said Sam. He gave Deeks a strange look. "That whole 'styled-by-pillow' thing isn't working for you today, Deeks."

Deeks ran his hand threw his hair with a grimace. "We were pushed for time this morning."

Callen's sharp eyes observed the pair and the room. Mutilated sleeping bag shoved in a corner with Monty lying on it. Kensi wearing an oversized tee shirt – clearly not hers. Deeks' right hand reaching around and stuffing something pink in his back pocket.

"Let me just say, whatever happened here last night, I really don't need to know."

Deeks sighed. "Good. Because you probably wouldn't believe us anyway."

Sam nodded toward the corner. "I didn't know the mutt was helping with this investigation."

"Monty is a highly-trained bomb squad dog," said Deeks in defense of his canine friend.

"That was in a galaxy far, far away."

Monty trotted over and dropped something at Sam's feet.

"See, Monty likes you," grinned Deeks. "He brought you a present."

"Well, I don't like him," said Sam. He frowned at Monty.

Callen looked down and pointed. "Is that a snake?"

"It _was_ a living, breathing reptile; now it's a dead one, thanks to Kensi."

Callen nodded. "That explains the bullet in the floor."

"I got this," said Kensi. She pulled out her knife, squatted and pried the bullet out.

"One shot?" asked Callen.

"One kill," confirmed Kensi.

"Spoken like a true sniper," grinned Deeks. "That's my partner."

Callen's cell rang. He listened for a moment. "Yeah, we're at the end of the pier. Door's open."

"Excuse me, do you leave your door open at home, Callen?" asked Deeks.

Sam gave a laugh. "Why wouldn't he? He only has two sticks of furniture and they came in boxes from Sweden."

"Very funny," said Callen. "You're buying lunch today."

"Whatever you say, G," said Sam.

Voices were heard outside. It was time to get down to business.

Kensi glanced around furtively. _What happened to my bra? Did Deeks put it in his bag?_

It was okay to go braless when it was only her and Deeks, but not with all these other alpha males around. Fortunately, Sam and Callen escorted them and the suspect to the interrogation room, leaving Kensi and Deeks alone temporarily.

Then she noticed that one of his back pockets was bulging. She stepped closer and slid her hand under his shirt.

"Feeling kinda frisky, Kens?"

"You have something that belongs to me."

Deeks lifted a hand to his chest. "My heart?"

"Besides that." She retrieved her bra, turned her back and with some quick maneuvering got it back on.

Deeks checked her out. "Got the girls all secured now?"

"Yes. Do they look secure?"

"Yeah. I don't mind the perky look, but I don't want other guys leering at my woman."

She half-heartedly punched his shoulder and pointed to the monitor. "Focus."


	7. Trouble with a Capital T

**Chapter 7 – Trouble with a Capital "T"**

 **Ops**

Nell and Eric were at their desks with their backs to the main door. "Icky" Ricky stopped short of the door and tried to gather his courage. He inhaled and exhaled forcefully a couple times and rubbed his sweaty palms on the sides of his pants. At last, he crept forward.

"Uh, Nell?"

Without turning around, Nell held up her left hand. "Silence."

Ricky dropped his head. "Yes, ma'am." Eric was sitting in his usual place beside her, but said nothing.

Nell focused on her monitor. "Sorry, Kensi. What was the question?"

"Did you find out anything about our suspect?"

"He was never in the military and he didn't have any obvious connection to the victim. We're still checking some things, but it looks like he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"Okay, thanks."

Eric nudged Nell and pointed to his screen. "Uh oh," she whispered.

"Hey, Kens. Talia is approaching the front door."

"Are you kidding me?" Her head snapped around as boot steps were heard in the hall.

Talia strode into the room wearing a tight, low-cut white tee shirt and drinking a large latte.

"Hey guys. It's been a while." She was all smiles, especially when she saw Deeks.

 _Not nearly long enough_ , thought Kensi.

"Talia . . . hi," said Deeks with a smile. He always found it amusing to watch the two women interact. Somehow they ceased being two law enforcement professionals and reverted to jealous teenage girls.

 _Two hotties fighting over me. I love it!_

"Hello," nodded Kensi.

Monty got up and trotted over with tail wagging.

Talia bent to pat his head. "Who's this? New NCIS agent?"

"That's Monty. He's a retired LAPD K9."

"Monty's a good boy. Just like his daddy." Talia glanced up at Deeks, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Monty laid down and rolled over, hoping for a belly rub. Talia squatted and did just that.

 _Monty is a traitor_ , thought Kensi irritably. _No treats for you today. Who do you think bought you that new water bowl?_

Finally, Talia straightened and Monty returned to the sleeping bag in the corner. Like Callen a few minutes before, Talia quickly sized up the situation and especially Kensi's large tee shirt.

"Got a bun in the oven, Kensi?"

Kensi was too stunned to say anything. Deeks decided he should move Kensi away from the table where their weapons were in full view. It was one thing for women to be snippy and spiteful, but there was no need to introduce firearms into the equation.

Talia waved a hand dismissively. "Just joking. Don't get so worked up."

Voices were heard outside the room. "We'll keep you posted, Agent Callen," said one of the DEA guys.

When the agent noticed Talia, he said, "Morning, Talia. Ready to go?"

"Yep," she answered. She looked back to Kensi and Deeks. "Always good to catch up with NCIS. Don't work too hard." She started to leave, then stopped. "By the way, I know you two try to act like you're only work partners, but trust me, everyone knows. See you around."

With that pronouncement, she sashayed out of the boat shed, ponytail swinging, to join the rest of her team. Kensi stood there with her fists clenched. "What the hell is her problem?"

Deeks grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. "Forget Talia. She's just jealous of our _thing_. She only does that to get under your skin and you let her. Besides, I would know if there was a 'bun in the oven,' wouldn't I?"

Kensi's lips compressed into a thin line. "You can be certain if I had a large cinnamon bun with icing in my hand right now, I'd smash it into her smug grin."

"Wow, that would be a waste of an excellent pastry. You're just saying that because you haven't had your sugar-infused breakfast yet." He pushed her down into a chair and turned to rummage in his go-bag. "This will help."

"Granola bar? Not my breakfast food of choice."

"I know, but it's better than nothing."

"Thanks." She ripped open the package and bit into the bar.

Sam and Callen returned to the room and everyone began speculating about the suspect and the case.

In Ops, Nell turned to Eric. "I don't think I like Talia. She has an evil streak."

Eric nodded. "She's a good agent, but no one should try to come between partners. I mean, I wouldn't let someone come between us."

Nell gave him a warm smile. "You're sweet." They shared a look for a long moment. Then she turned to see what Ricky wanted, but he had silently backed out of Ops. He didn't want to come between partners.

At the end of the day, Kensi and Deeks pulled up to Deeks' apartment. "What a crappy day. I think Mercury was in double retrograde," sighed Kensi.

"You're a believer now," said Deeks. He reached across the console and squeezed her thigh. "At least it's over. What are our plans for tonight?"

"I thought you were going over to Kip's to play basketball." She shifted in her seat to face him.

"Yeah, but I could cancel."

"You don't need to cancel. You need to work off some energy. You've been more hyper today than normal. Anyway, Nell and I are going to yoga in an hour."

Deeks gave her a grin. "Is that a nice way of saying I really, really, really got on your nerves?"

"Well, since you asked, yes."

Deeks gasped in mock horror.

"But it's okay." She gently touched his forearm. "I'm not going to request a new partner."

"Thank goodness. For a minute, I thought you were breaking up with me."

"I've put up with you this long so I might as well keep you."

"So I'm a keeper?" Deeks smiled broadly. "She's gonna keep Deeks."

Kensi shoved him. "Go on. Go to Kip's and have fun."

"Yeah. You and Nell have fun contorting yourselves into pretzels. Personally, I'd rather _eat_ pretzels than _be_ one," he said as he exited the car. Then he leaned in the window. "Go for a run in the morning?"

"Sure."

"Call me when you're on the way."

"Will do. Oh, and give Kip my love," she said.

"I'll tell him you said _hello_ , but your love is only for _me_ ," said Deeks.

Kensi's heart gave a little flip. She knew he was dead serious.


	8. Perfect Evening

**Chapter 8 – Perfect Evening**

 **Saturday Morning**

Kensi arrived at Deeks' apartment at 8:45 a.m. They went for a long run with Monty, then returned to the apartment. Deeks engaged in one of his favorite household activities, vacuuming, while Kensi showered. Then he showered while Kensi and Monty sprawled on the couch and watched TV.

Next they went out for brunch and to run errands. Monty needed dog food and heart worm medicine; Kensi wanted to stop at her nail salon to buy five new shades of polish.

"Don't you already have red polish?" asked Deeks.

"This is not red," said Kensi in an indignant tone. "It's _Firecracker Extraordinaire_."

Deeks wanted to laugh, but stifled the urge. "Pardon me. Guess I'm not attuned to the fine points of nail polish."

"Maybe you shouldn't comment on things you don't understand," Kensi pointed out.

Deeks nodded slowly and grinned. "Agreed."

When they returned in the afternoon, Kensi hesitated at the front door. "Aren't you coming in?" asked Deeks.

Kensi tried not to smile. "I need to go home. I have a date tonight." _And I have to pick up my new shoes!_

"Big date?"

"Huge."

"And it's going to take hours to get ready?"

"Definitely."

Deeks whistled. "Lucky guy. Is he worth all that effort?"

Kensi shrugged. "Maybe. Only time will tell."

"Good to know." Then he closed his eyes and put his hands to his forehead. Was he having a psychic vision or getting a migraine? "I'm sensing your date will arrive around 7:30."

"You have ESP now?"

"Maybe."

"Even better to know," nodded Kensi. "Now I know how long I can soak in a bubble bath."

Deeks shuffled his feet as he imagined Kensi reclining in the tub, scented bubbles lapping at the top of her breasts. She would have candles lit and her techno music blaring. He almost wished he could join her, but minus the bone-jarring music. He would have insisted on soft jazz.

Kensi chewed her bottom lip for a few seconds. Finally, she said, "Okay. Gotta go."

 **7:45 p.m.**

Kensi opened the front door and found Deeks standing there in a three-piece suit and tie. He was gorgeous!

She checked her watch. "Fifteen minutes late. You're ESP is a bit off."

Deeks chuckled. "Sorry. Heavy traffic. But I planned for that. Our reservation's for 8:15."

"Smart guy." She couldn't stop staring at him.

"You like what you see?" asked Deeks.

"I do. Nice suit. You look like you're going to a wedding." She felt herself blushing. "Or . . . or maybe an interview or business meeting," she quickly added.

 _Why did I say wedding?_

"A wedding." Deeks looked down at himself. "Yeah, I could see me getting hitched in this . . . with the right woman."

Kensi toyed with her earring. "Do you think she's out there somewhere?"

Before he could answer, Kensi's cell rang. She glanced toward the coffee table. "That's probably my mom. I called her earlier."

"Sure." Deeks came in and closed the door. _Yeah, I'm looking at the right woman._

While she was on the phone, he had a chance to admire her. Black, silky halter-top dress. The front plunged, hinting at her cleavage. A jeweled clasp held the neck together. Another jeweled clasp held her hair up in a fancy twist. Diamond stud earrings. Black clutch lying on the coffee table. But one thing was missing.

 _Where are those sexy new shoes?_

"Yeah mom, we're going out to eat. Deeks is here now. I'll call you tomorrow. Okay. Love you, too."

She ended the call and slipped the phone into her clutch. "Almost ready."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He pointed to her feet.

"The finishing touch," she said in a flirty manner. She sat on the couch and reached for a shoe box from _Mimi's Shoe Salon._ Out came a pair of red peep-toe stilettos.

"On a scale of one to ten, those are off the chart," said Deeks as he sat beside her.

Kensi started to put one on, but Deeks took it from her hand. "Allow me."

Naturally, it was a shameless excuse for Deeks to caress Kensi's legs and they both knew it. He grinned up at her as he slid each shoe on. "Perfect," he murmured.

Kensi's pulse was beating double-time. "The shoes?"

"Yeah, those, too."

For a moment, neither moved. Their gazes were locked on each other. Finally, Kensi spoke. "Shouldn't we be going?"

"We should." Deeks took her hand and pulled her up. He paused to examine her nails. "Is this _Firecracker Extraordinaire_?"

"Absolutely."

"Looks like red to me."

"Ugh, men!" she snorted.

"Wait, what's going on here?" On her left thumbnail was a _K_ in tiny rhinestones. Her right thumbnail sported a rhinestone _D_. "Is this what I think it is?"

"What do you think it is?" Kensi tried to sound nonchalant about the decorations.

He held up her left hand. "Kensi." Then he lifted her right hand. "Deeks."

Kensi shrugged. "Maybe I just picked out random letters."

"No way. So, since I'm on your _right_ hand does that mean you're acknowledging I'm the _right_ one for you?"

Kensi ignored the question. "Let's go. I'm starving."

"Me, too." He ran a finger slowly down the valley between her breasts. Kensi drew an unsteady breath and her nipples tightened.

"Are the girls secured? I'd hate for you to experience a wardrobe malfunction."

"They're fine. But thank you for your concern."

"Always concerned about my partner," grinned Deeks as they headed for the door.

 **The Steak Place**

Despite its unassuming name, The Steak Place was an upscale restaurant in Malibu. Deeks had never been here, but his friend Kip highly recommended it.

" _Dude, you gonna pop the question to that fine lady of yours?"_

" _Relax, Kip. We're just having dinner."_

 _Kip shook his head. "What are you waiting for? Don't let her be the one who got away. In fact, if you don't propose to Kensi pretty soon, I may have to step up to the plate."_

 _Deeks grinned. "All in good time, my friend. All in good time."_

Kensi and Deeks were escorted to a table by a picture window overlooking the ocean. The restaurant was crowded with couples and families having a night out. Conversation and laughter floated around them.

The waiter took their order and in no time they were digging into thick, juicy steaks, drinking too much wine, and generally relaxing and enjoying themselves. Earlier, Deeks had noticed the wait staff putting several tables together on the opposite side of the room in preparation for a large party. Now that party was arriving.

He almost dropped his steak knife. _No, it can't be._

Talia Del Campo arrived with what must be parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, and several kids. An elderly woman with a cane tugged her arm and Talia bent down to receive a kiss on the cheek.

Fortunately, this was happening behind Kensi and she was saying something about dessert, or maybe it was a desert. Did she want to have _dessert_ in the _desert_? Deeks wasn't quite sure. All he knew was he had to get control of the situation before their perfect evening was ruined.

"Hey Kens, why don't we go dancing?" he interrupted. "Maybe salsa. We could take your new stilettos for a spin." He made some jerky movements with his arms.

Kensi burst out laughing. "What was that? It looked like you were having a seizure."

Deeks laughed, too. "Okay, so I'm not the most coordinated guy on the dance floor, but you can show me your moves."

"Show you my moves?" For an instant, Kensi wasn't sure if he was talking about dancing . . . or something else.

"I know Hetty had us twirling around the gym that time, but it's been a long time and I should really brush up. Never know when we might have to go undercover as dance instructors."

"Dance instructors who need to catch bad guys?" Kensi was trying to wrap her mind around that scenario.

"Yeah, dance instructors who are, in fact, terrorist money launderers or bomb makers when they're not doing the tango or rumba."

"Your imagination is really out there and you do need practice. Okay, let's do it. Woo-hoo! I'm feeling fine," said Kensi.

Deeks signaled the waiter. "And you're looking even more fine."

"Let me go to the bathroom first."

"Okay, I'll meet you by that fountain." There was a large, ornate, tiered water fountain and arrangement of potted palms near the restrooms.

Cautiously, Deeks looked toward Talia's group. He breathed a sigh of relief. Her back was to him and she was occupied with her family.

The waiter returned with his credit card and he moved swiftly around the corner to wait for Kensi. _Come on, Kens. We need to leave now! I hope you're not in there comparing nail polish or shoes with other women._

Almost before he finished that thought, Kensi came out. "I'm ready." She shook her hips and twirled around. Deeks eyebrows shot up. "I can see that."

Two little boys ran around the corner. "I bet they have goldfish in there," one shouted. They didn't see Kensi and Deeks and collided with Kensi. She teetered precariously on her stilettos. "Deeks!"

"Watch out! Don't knock the lady down!" said Deeks. He shot out an arm to grab Kensi before she fell into the fountain. Her clutch did not fare so well. SPLAT!

"My purse!" shrieked Kensi.

"I got it," said Deeks. "Jungle cat reflexes." He stooped and scooped it up, but he almost pulled Kensi down with him. "Deeks, stop it!"

"Justin! Roberto! What are you doing? We're about to cut _abuela's_ cake," called out a strangely familiar voice. Heels clicked on the tile as a woman approached.

One little boy called over his shoulder. "We're hunting for goldfish. Oh look Auntie Talia, there's one!"

Kensi looked at Deeks with wide eyes and a startled expression. "Come on," he hissed under his breath. He pulled her further into a dark corner and clamped a hand over her mouth before she yelled or said something inappropriate about kids.

"Don't worry. When we have kids, they'll be better behaved," he whispered. Kensi rolled her eyes. He wasn't sure if that was directed toward the "having kids" part or the "better behaved"part. She was mumbling against his hand.

The _maître d'_ glided up to Talia. "Is there a problem, ma'am?"

"I'm sorry. My nephews. You can dress them up, but you can't take them out."

The boys looked up the tall man in the tuxedo with mouths open. "Now boys, why don't we let the goldfish go back to their dinner and you go have some cake," he said in a smooth tone. No doubt he was used to dealing with far worse situations than inquisitive kids on a regular basis. He produced a white handkerchief from his pocket and bent to dry their little hands.

One of them spoke up. "We didn't hurt the fish, mister."

"Sir," corrected Talia. "Now apologize." They looked sheepishly at Talia.

"I'm sorry, sir," said the older one.

"Me, too . . . sir," said the little one. "And we didn't mean to scare that lady."

"What lady?" asked Talia.

"A pretty lady. And there was a tall man, too."

"Tall man?" Talia's eyes narrowed. "Was his hair the color of Uncle Mark's?"

"Yeah, it was," said the older boy.

She looked around, but saw no one. However, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She had a funny feeling she was being watched. And she thought she'd seen Deeks and Kensi when her family first entered the restaurant. But with the confusion of getting everyone seated and orders placed, she temporarily forgot about them. It had been a long day and these boisterous family gatherings were often trying.

 _If it was them, they're gone now._

"Come on, boys. I'm ready for some cake." _And more wine._

In the corner, Deeks knew that Talia was staring in their direction. It was like having a gun's laser sight trained on him. Finally, her heels clicked away. "If I move my hand, you won't freak out, will you?" whispered Deeks.

Kensi shook her head from side to side. Deeks moved his hand. "I don't want her ruining our perfect evening, so we're not going out the front."

"Kitchen door?" said Kensi.

"Exactly."

"You're a fun date."

"I try." He glanced around. "Alrighty then. Looks like the kitchen is around the other corner. But I got this." He pulled out his LAPD ID. "Come on."

He took Kensi's hand and they made a mad dash in front of the fountain and around the corner toward the kitchen.

From her peripheral vision, Talia thought she saw something, but she wasn't sure. _Maybe I haven't had enough to drink._ A waiter was hovering nearby. "Excuse me, can I get a vodka martini, please?"

Deeks and Kensi burst through the swinging kitchen doors. Deeks held up his ID. "LAPD. Where's the exit?"

A shocked Hispanic cook dropped the plate he was holding and raised his hands. "Green card . . . in wallet, _Señor_."

Deeks was momentarily taken aback. "Uh, good for you. But I'm looking for the exit."

The man pointed and the pair sprinted around and past the bewildered kitchen staff. "Sorry. Excuse me. Coming through," called Deeks. "We're not Immigration," he yelled. "Not Immigration."

They reached the dark alley behind the restaurant and Kensi began laughing hysterically. "What a night! But we missed dessert. I totally need my dessert," she said.

"What about dancing?"

"Dessert, then dancing. That's what I want." Suddenly, Kensi yawned. Deeks wrapped his arms around her. "Are you sure?" The excitement of the evening and the wine seemed to be catching up with her.

She studied her nails. "You were right. This is us. I thought it was . . . cute." Then she looped her arms around Deeks' neck.

"I like it," he said. He was about to kiss her, and Kensi was waiting for it, when the kitchen door opened and someone tossed a garbage bag into the dumpster with a thunk. The man gave them a strange look. So much for the LAPD emergency.

"Come on. I know a good place for dessert. They have apple pie, cherry pie, coconut cream pie, chocolate chiffon pie, lemon pie . . ."

"Where? Why are we standing here?"

Deeks laughed. "All I have to do is mention food and you're putty in my hands."

"I guess I am fairly shallow that way."

They began walking toward the front of the restaurant and the valet parking. Kensi stumbled and once more, Deeks caught her. "My heel snapped off. Damn pothole! My new heels," she whined.

She picked up the heel and glared angrily at it. "I paid a lot for these."

Deeks took it from her and turned it over in his hand. "I can fix this."

"Well, somebody needs to fix it or I'm . . ." Again, Kensi yawned.

"Let's get you to the car." With Deeks' help, she limped and hopped to the valet station. The valet brought the car around and Deeks helped her inside. At the same moment, Talia and her family were spilling out of the restaurant. Justin and Roberto were running around like hooligans.

"I knew it," she said when she saw Deeks and Kensi. She clenched her fists. _My gut feeling is never wrong._

"Knew what, sis?" asked her older brother.

She hadn't realized she'd spoken aloud. "Uh, I knew the party would be a success. You always do a great job planning these things."

"Thanks. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves."

Deeks was preoccupied and failed to notice Talia. His only concern was to show Kensi a great time. He drove to a little café known for its fabulous desserts. Before they went in, he reached over to the glove compartment. "What are you looking for?" asked Kensi.

"Some super-duper super glue. See, it says NASA even used it on the space shuttle. So I think it'll take care of your heel."

"Fine," sighed Kensi. She handed him the shoe. "But you're not a NASA engineer, so why do you need it?"

"You don't know what I do when I'm not with you," he said mysteriously.

"Yes, I do. You surf, play basketball, and search out new pizza and sushi places."

"Wow. You know me better than I thought." He looked at her and smiled.

"It's my job to know you, partner."

Deeks twisted off the cap and squeezed. Unfortunately, a larger than expected glob spurted out. Kensi's dress had ridden up and the blob landed on her exposed thigh. They looked at each other and then down at Kensi's leg. Suddenly, Kensi lost it.

"Do something, Deeks! Get it off!"

"Hang on." He opened the center console and dug around until he found a small wet-wipe package. "This is probably left over from the last time we went to that barbeque joint downtown."

"Stop babbling! I don't need a provenance. Just open the stupid thing!"

"Right." He ripped it open and started scrubbing Kensi's leg. She tried to help and they finally got the glue off her leg. Kensi leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes. "I know you're only trying to help, but maybe you shouldn't."

Deeks felt terrible. "I'm really sorry, Kens. I have a first-aid kit in the trunk and it has some antibiotic ointment."

Before Kensi could protest, Deeks had retrieved the cream and was rubbing it on her leg. "Is that better?"

"Yeah. Sorry I freaked. It was just so . . . unexpected."

"I get it. I should have been paying more attention, but your leg distracted me."

Kensi glared at him. "I'm not claiming any responsibility for that."

In a couple minutes, he had her heel fixed. "Here you go. Good as new."

She checked it out from all angles. "You're pretty handy. Would you like to do the honors?"

"Of course." Deeks got out and came around to Kensi's side where she already had the door open. Deeks squatted and slipped the heel on. "Put some weight on it to make sure it holds." She extended her hand and he pulled her up. "Perfect," she said.

They were shown to a booth in the back and he blew out a sigh.

"No Talia. We can relax now," he said. They both giggled and Kensi checked over her shoulder to be sure. "Now to more important things." She read the menu with intense interest. "Yummy."

"I'm gonna have the apple pie," said Deeks. "And coffee."

Kensi took a few more minutes to decide and ultimately picked the chocolate chiffon pie. "And coffee," she added.

"Wonderful," said Kensi when she finished her pie. She got every last crumb off the plate.

"You still up for dancing?" Deeks did his crazy arm movements again and Kensi laughed.

She considered it for a moment and yawned. "Another time. I'm ready to veg out."

"Your place or mine?"

"Doesn't matter."

Twenty minutes later, they're standing outside Deeks' front door. No nosy neighbors were out smoking or walking their dogs so Deeks pulled her into his arms. "Did you have fun tonight?"

She slowly smiled. "On a scale of one to ten, tonight was off the charts."

"That good, huh?"

"In spite of everything, it was a perfect evening because I was with the perfect guy."

He reached up and toyed with the clasp of her halter dress. "It doesn't have to end."

"Careful. That might cause a wardrobe malfunction," warned Kensi as she threaded her hands into his hair.

"In that case, we should go in. We wouldn't want the neighbors to see that. They think I'm a nice guy."

"They must be misinformed," laughed Kensi as they stumbled through the door.

At the end of the parking lot away from the streetlight, a dark-haired woman in a Fiat witnessed the lovey-dovey scene.

 _So that's where he lives_.

She waited fifteen minutes to see if Kensi would leave or stay. In her gut she already knew the answer. With a final glance at Deeks' door, she started the car and slowly drove away.

 **THE END**


End file.
